This is no joke, although it may sound like one. Spanish company “Via Inteligente” is designing an intelligent pavement that will literally bring the world at your feet! The new iPavement is going to be introduced in this year’s International Building & Construction Show in Dubai.

The paving stones of iPavement include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, their own operating system, applications and sensors. The goal of iPavement will be to connect with locals and passersby in order to make available a wealth of different information ranging from weather conditions and emergency alerts to maps and coupons for local businesses. Via Inteligente aims to turn city streets into information platforms.

Via Inteligente has already developed or is developing its own operating system with its own set of apps which are customised for use in the new iPavement. Applications include: a digital library with a variety of digital works as well as local works for the promotion of culture, city maps including a comprehensive catalogue of places of interest suitable for both tourists and locals, music and local musical events and concerts, commercial coupons for local businesses that can be sent directly to the user’s mobile phone, intelligent warning about bad condition, hazards and accidents, programmed messages via bluetooth concerning tourist information, events and commercial publicity, and -of course- statistics from the pavement itself concerning use, access, pedestrians and the occupation of public spaces.

The system’s hardware is installed inside a calcium carbonate stone that comes in a classic flat shape, or with grooves on the surface to make its presence known. Madrid is currently testing the system, and if Via Inteligente has its way, cities throughout Spain will soon have the smartest pavement in the world.

The original version of this very interesting article can be found here.